During last night’s city council meeting, Mayor Sandy Goodlett addressed the council and visitors in his yearly “State of the City” speech. He reported that the city is in good shape financially. The city has met budget forecasts, and it is currently in a good financial position.

The mayor thanked all the members of the council and city employees for the hard work and dedication to keeping the city working efficiently and effectively. “I would like to begin by saying the accomplishments of the city are a result of the efforts of the members of the city council who voted to support the budget which has afforded progress in every area of the city,” Mayor Goodlett said.

He also reported on a number of projects that the city has accomplished over the past fiscal year. From rebuilding the maintenance building, to installing a new parking lot on Main Street, the city has been hard at work, improving various areas.

There has also been numerous upgrades in equipment for the fire department and 911 dispatch, along with replacement of police cruisers and fixing of various water and sewer lines and equipment. In addition, the county government has been incredibly cooperative in regards to the joint tourism commission and other projects. “I’m pleased with the accomplishments of the fiscal year,” Mayor Goodlett said.

The council then reviewed the upcoming budget for the new fiscal year. Mayor Goodlett said that there will be various expenses for the coming year, including more technology upgrades, replacement trucks, fixes for the water and sewer infrastructure, and more. According to Councilman Rucker, the budget will not require a tax rate increase for the coming year. The city has also received $55,000 from FEMA to offset the costs of the 2015 snow emergencies and $34,000 in various grants

The council also addressed new ordinances, including raising non-elected employee pay scales by 0.7% to keep up with the consumer price increase, changing the alcohol regulatory fee from 2% to 5% to cover costs not originally planned, and changing the zoning of certain lots on Progress Place from B-1 to R-2.